The first lady is wearing a hand-draped, off the shoulder, red matte jersey gown by Prabal Gurung at the White House Correspondents' Dinner this evening. Stunning!
Update: On the jewelry front, it appears that the first lady wore pieces by Bochic and Sutra Jewels. The bottom gold cuff is a Sutra Jewels piece, created from 10 carats of raspberry tourmaline, flanked by rose cut diamonds in a star-burst motif. The top cuff appears to be a Bochic piece, constructed from white bakelite, gold filigree and rose-cut diamonds, seen here.
This morning the first lady will donate her fabulous, frothy Jason Wu inaugural gown to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Mrs. O's inaugural gown will be part of a new gallery, "A First Lady's Debut," which will showcase 11 dresses worn by first ladies. Mrs. O will be joined by designer Jason Wu and a group of design students.
Update #1: Today brings us not just one fabulous dress, but two! For the Smithsonian event, Mrs. O wore a dress from another up-and-coming designer, Prabal Gurung, who was recently highlighted on this blog, here. The dress is a black and white brush painted rose silk twill gazar hand draped off-the-shoulder design from Mr. Gurung's Spring 2010 collection. For a more detailed look, see below.
P.S. How fabulous does Marian Robinson look?
Image by Jewel Samad / Getty Images
Update #2: The first lady's full and entirely inspiring remarks:
MRS. OBAMA: Thank you, everyone. Thanks so much.
Well, clearly, it’s a pleasure and an honor to be here with all of you today.
Let me begin by thanking Secretary Clough for that generous introduction. I want to thank him and his wife Anne for their dedication to the mission of the Smithsonian.
And I want to thank our hosts from the National Museum of American History -– Dr. Brent Glass and John Rogers. Thank you for making these museums such wonderful places for people of all ages to learn and to explore.
And I have to also do my part in recognizing our very special guests, the students and the teachers from Huntington High School, who made the trip all the way from New York to be here. You all please stand so we can see you. (Applause.) Now, there’s a special reason why I invited these students here. They sent me this book of beautifully designed inaugural gowns of their own creations, and I had so much fun looking through all the designs. You all are obviously a very talented and beautiful and handsome group of people. And I am so pleased to be able to share this special day with you. You make us proud. And thank you for the gifts.
And, finally, I also want to thank all the board members, the staff, the supporters of these museums, all of you, for the work that you do every day, and for being here and sharing this moment with me, as well.
So, here we are. It’s the dress. (Laughter.) And I have to say, to be honest, I am very honored and very humbled, but I have to say that I’m also a little embarrassed by all the fuss being made over my dress. Like many of you, I’m not used to people wanting to put things I’ve worn on display. (Laughter.) So, all of this is a little odd, so forgive me.
But, at the same time, I truly recognize the significance of this day. This gown –- and all of the items that we’ll see in this wonderful exhibit –- help us connect with a moment in history in a very real way.
When we look at the gown that Jackie Kennedy wore 50 years ago, or the one that Mary Todd Lincoln wore more than a hundred years before that, it really takes us beyond the history books and the photographs, and it helps us understand that history is really made by real live people.
The detail of each gown –- the fabric, the cut, the color –- tells us something much more about each single First Lady. It’s a visual reminder that we each come from such different backgrounds, from different generations, and from different walks of life.
Each gown places us right in the moment and makes us wonder about the intimate details of that evening, like how did she feel in the dress? Did her feet hurt in those shoes? (Laughter.) How many times did her husband step on that train? (Laughter.) But, more importantly, these gowns and this exhibit uniquely define a moment in our American history.
When I look at my gown –- which I, in fact, have not seen since the day that I took it off –- memories of that moment truly come rushing back. I remember that it was freezing cold in Washington. I know we all remember that. Yet, despite the frigid temperatures, hundreds of thousands of people flooded the Mall. Nothing was going to stop them from being part of history.
That day was so hectic for us. And I remember the inaugural parade and how the President and I stood and we waved until every last band walked by.
Then we only had less than an hour -- ladies, if you can believe that -- (laughter) -- all of my friends left us in the stands, by the way. (Laughter.) “See ya, good luck!” (Laughter.) I was like, “Yeah, thanks.” (Laughter.) “We have to get ready for the ball.” (Laughter.) Like, “Yeah, so do I.” (Laughter.) So at the time I wasn’t really focused on what I was wearing that evening -– I was really just trying to stay warm.
But I’ll never forget the moment that I slipped on this beautiful gown. I remember how just luscious I felt as the President and I were announced onto the stage for the first of many dances. And I’ll cherish that moment for the rest of my life.
And now that the crowds are gone, and the Mall is silent, and our family has settled into our new home, the White house, this gown is one of the most tangible things I have left to remember that day. And that’s why it will always hold a special place in my heart.
And today, when I look at the dress, I remember all of the incredible people that we met along our journey and on that day, and how warmly -- welcome they received us.
I remember the joy on the faces of so many young people who devoted so much time to getting us to that point.
I remember the wonderful letters we received from folks who were there and others who watched the event from home; people who told us about how much that day meant for them and their families -- letters from octogenarians who told us how they never thought they’d live to see the day.
I remember all the men and women who worked so hard and so long to make sure that every single detail was just perfect.
And I remember the time we shared with Americans from every corner of this nation.
And one of the people who made that day possible is the creator of this beautiful gown, Jason Wu, a young man who, not so long ago, was just an aspiring designer like many of you students here. When Jason was just five years old, growing up in Taiwan, his parents would take him to the bridal shops so that he could sketch the gowns in the windows. He started making clothes for dolls when he was 16, and after studying under some of the best designers in the world, he opened his own shop four years ago with the money he had saved.
And Jason’s dress, as you can see -- this gown is a masterpiece. It is simple, it’s elegant, and it comes from this brilliant young mind, someone who is living the American Dream.
The countless hours that you can see that he spent sewing this piece made my night even more special, and now I am proud that millions of visitors will be able to see just how talented this young man is.
Thank you, Jason. Thank you for your vision and for your hard work, because, in the end of the day, today is about much more than this gown. It’s also about how, with enough focus and with enough determination, someone in this room could be the next Jason Wu. Someone in this room could be the next Barack Obama. It’s about how the American story is written by real people –- not just names on a page. And it’s about how something you create today –- whether it’s a dress, or a painting, or a story or a song –- can help teach the next generation in a way that nothing else can.
Thank you all so much. (Applause.)
Update #3: A fabulous behind-the-scenes video from the Smithsonian:
Anyone who frequents a fashion blog or two has most likely read about Prabal Gurung in the past year. He was one of the hot newcomers of 2009 and an instant favorite among stars such as Demi Moore, Rachel Weisz and Zoe Saldana. Even Cathy Horyn of the New York Times appears to be enchanted, writing this last September:
"Prabal Gurung, a relatively new designer — he spent five years at Bill Blass before he set out on his own last winter — makes sophisticated clothes. He is aware of fit. He can set a proper sleeve. He has good connections with fabric mills, which will sell him small amounts. He makes everything count."
Prabal Gurung's Spring 2010 collection showcased his draping skills, but it was from the details — exxagerated bows and defined waists — that we could imagine his finely crafted garments working well in Mrs. O's wardrobe. It turns out we're not the only ones wondering about this fashion match. In a new interview with Amy Verner for Canada's The Globe and Mail, the designer reveals his hopes that the first lady might wear one of his designs.
AV: Who else would you like to see in your clothes?
PG: Who do you think?
AV: Let me guess: Michelle Obama.
PG: She embodies the woman that I design for: successful, smart, powerful, gracious enough to be her husband's wife but strong enough to put him in his place. That to me is an inspiring modern woman.
It seems we'll have to wait and see what the new year brings, but certainly, we'll be hoping Mr. Gurung gets his wish. (His $25,000 award from the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation in the first days of January is perhaps a sign of good things to come.) In the meantime, we should know what to look for. You can study up on Prabal Gurung's debut and sophomore collections here: Fall 2009 and Spring 2010.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 at 10:53 PM 
